Afternoon Edition: 26 September 2025

The Afternoon Edition of News Fix for 26 September 2025, straight from the Newstalk ZB newsroom - bringing you everything you need to know in news, politics, business, entertainment and sport.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:04):
Good afternoon. I'm Adam Cooper and this is your Afternoon
News Fox for Friday, the twenty sixth of September. The
police officer in charge of the Loafer's Lodge case is
relieved someone has been held to account after five people
lost their lives a jury's founds fifty year old Esserona L.
Longer guilty of five counts of murder and another of

(00:24):
arson after a trial in the High Court at Wellington.
Police have acknowledged the bravery and courage of all those involved,
both on the night and during the trial. Speaking outside court,
Detective Senior Sergeant Tim Leech says it's been an extremely
challenging and difficult investigation. I'm always very emotional when these
lytics come in and today was no exception, and I'm

(00:46):
just pleased that we got the result that we were
looking for. Police say Tom Phillips and his children were
detected in transit during their almost four year search, but
never in circumstances that allowed officers to safely interven. Today,
police reveals more details about the hunts for the Morakopa fugitive,
which ended in a shootout earlier this month, that reveals

(01:08):
they knew Phillips had firearms and was unlikely to surrender.
Newsk's AB's Jordan Dunn says police likely released the information
because of public interests.

Speaker 2 (01:18):
Because there are a lot of questions about why it
took so long. That's why they've come out with some
information to kind of give more detail about the search,
about the process and about those three years was kind
of led up to this happening.

Speaker 1 (01:28):
Meanwhile, police say the officers shot by Phillips has now
been discharged from hospital. A new measles case has been
confirmed in the Bay of Islands and Northland, likely linked
to overseas travel. Health New Zealand says the case was
notified to Public Health Services yesterday afternoon. Scarlet's Ortanovich has
the details.

Speaker 3 (01:47):
The person's no longer infectious. However, there are six others
associated with the confirmed case who are now being assessed
for infection. They were identified as part of initial contact
tracing efforts. Public Health still identifying close contacts and possible
exposure locations.

Speaker 1 (02:04):
Health and New Zealands urging any everyone in the Bay
of Islands to watch out for symptoms and to stay
home and seek health advice if unwell. As concerns young
people are attacking eels in a creek and Richmond in
the Tasman area. The Tasman District Council says it's heard
eels in a creek and berry field are being cruelly targeted,
with reports that are being cut up with a machete

(02:25):
and attacked with stones. Councils, science and educational teams say
they try to stop the behavior by talking with children
at schools. The Palestinian Authority president has laid out as
plan for restoring peace in Gaza. During his pre recorded
address to the United Nations, Mark Mood Abbas has decried
Israel's operations in Gaza, calling it a genocide and a

(02:48):
crime against humanity. He's vowing that Palestinians will not leave
their homeland. Abbas says his Authority is the only legitimate
organization which can restore order in the region, not Hamas.
His words are translated, despite all what our people have suffered,
we reject what Hammers carried out. On the seventh of October,

(03:10):
stand in all Blacks. Skipper Ardie Savia is hoping his
actions will do the talking. In the bledders Low Cup
series opener against the Wallabies at Eden Park, tomorrow. Former
Black Caps coach Gary Stead is back on the books
Atney's Land Cricket in a part time high performance role
to support player and coach development. Bryson de Chambeau has
declared the presence of US President Donald Trump can inspire

(03:33):
his American team to a home victory at Golf's Ryder
Cup this weekend. I'm Adam Cooper. That's your latest news fix.
We'll be back with the next update tomorrow morning from
the News Talk z'd be Newsroom.